Ibotta Review 2019 & $10 Referral Code Link

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Ibotta Review

How Does Ibotta Work?

You know how digital coupons work. Just think of Ibotta like digital coupons. But instead of getting your discount at the register, you get cash back added to your Ibotta account.

That cash back builds up in your account. Whenever you feel it’s reached a big enough sum that you want to take it out, you can withdraw it. If you want cash, you can use PayPal or Venmo. Or, you can also exchange your Ibotta balance for gifts cards. That can be a good strategy because sometimes the gift cards are offered at a discount.

You might only have to pay $20 to get a $25 gift card, for instance.

There are two ways to earn with Ibotta:

In-store

Mobile shopping

How to Use Ibotta In-Store (Step-by-Step Instructions)

You’ll access this feature by clicking on the small magnifying glass that says “Find Rebates” under it. If you’re looking for a particular store, just type the name in the search engine. It also might be listed as one of the featured stores near the top of the page. Stores include most national grocery store chains, such as Safeway, Kroger, Publix, Whole Foods, Wegmans, etc., as well as major big-box stores like Walmart, and Target, and warehouse clubs like Costco, Sam’s, and BJ’s.

Step #3 — Add the offers you’re interested in.

Go ahead and add whatever items are on your grocery list. For some offers, you’ll have to complete a simple task in order to add the offer (such as watching a short video).

Step #4 — After selecting your offer, go shopping.

Don’t forget to get your receipt at the register, and don’t crumple it up… you’ll have to take a photo of it to earn your cash back.

Step #5 — When you’re home, go to the Ibotta app and hit the “redeem” button.

Follow the instructions for verifying your purchases. You’ll need to scan the product barcodes and send a picture of your receipt.

Step #6 — Cash out!

Once you’ve accumulated at least $20 in your account, you can withdraw it to PayPal or Venmo (or exchange it for gift cards).

The process only takes a minute or two once you get it down.

How To Use Ibotta Mobile (Step-by-Step Instructions)

Ibotta is best known for its in-store grocery coupons. But the app is quickly growing into a solid online shopping cash back app that ranks up there with Ebates, BeFrgual, and Swagbucks.

You can view all the available offers from the stores you normally shop at.

Step #4 — Complete a short task to unlock the offers and add them to your account.

You might have to watch a commercial or answer a question. Keep adding the offers you’re interested in, because that’s how you’ll maximize the cash you’ll earn.

Step #5 — Shop before the offers expire.

Most offers are only available for a limited time.

Step #6 — Make the purchase.

Ibotta’s mobile shopping feature lets you make in-app purchases, as well as so-called “app-to-app purchases.” That means retailers automatically get notified of your purchase, so there’s no need to send in a receipt. Sometimes those deals are quite substantial, such as 20 percent cash back on Groupon and 7 percent back on hotels.com.

Step #7 — Cash out when you’re ready.

First-time users get a $10 bonus after claiming their first rebate. After you accumulate $20, you can transfer your earnings to your Venmo or PayPal account. If you prefer, Ibotta also has a number of different gift cards you can exchange your earnings for.

How Does Ibotta Make Money?

When you’re getting “free money” like this, it’s important to know why. It helps you understand why cash back apps aren’t a scam if you know how they earn their profits. This knowledge will make you feel more comfortable if you’ve ever wondered, “Is Ibotta legit?”

Ibotta works by referring customers to a store. Ibotta gets paid a referral commission whenever something is bought. That’s how it makes its money.

Ibotta is happy to share that referral commission with you, because you’re a key part of their success. Without you and other shoppers like you, they wouldn’t earn a referral commission. And the service benefits companies that are pushing certain products because having a cash-back offer can make customers more likely to buy that particular item. This kind of platform is a win-win situation for everyone involved – the company, Ibotta, and the customer.

Ibotta also earns money from the advertisements on its platform. Remember that video you had to watch to unlock an offer?

How Much You Can Expect to Earn?

How much a person earns with Ibotta depends upon how much they shop, how much they use the app, and if they use it just for products or for services as well.

Sometimes there are offers that will bulk up your earnings. Take that hotels.com 7-percent-off deal we discussed earlier; people who used that opportunity to book a vacation or a bunch of work trips obviously will make a lot more off of Ibotta than someone who just clips a few yogurt coupons.

Or, if you have several kids in your household, you’re going to earn a lot more cash back from groceries than someone who is just buying for one person.

Overall, everyone can probably earn back at least a few dollars a week just shopping for pretty basic groceries. Others may be able to earn closer to $100 a month.

How to Maximize Your Ibotta Earnings (Tips, Hacks, and Secrets You Need To Know)

Hack #1 — Ibotta Preferred Partners

Ibotta has a Preferred Partners plan that includes retailers who are affiliated directly with Ibotta.

That allows you to link loyalty cards to the Ibotta coupon app, so you get great returns for little effort. This can earn you money without taking pictures of receipts — although you’ll still want to check out the site to see what the deals are at that particular store.

Hack #2 — Test it Out Right Now

Once you’ve signed up, you can start earning money right away, retroactively. You can use a receipt that’s up to seven days old. So if you went on a shopping spree two days ago, you can still get cash back for any qualifying purchases. You don’t have to wait until the next time you shop.

Just look at the receipt and scan the barcodes of any qualifying products. Then take a picture of the receipt and watch your savings start to grow.

Hack #3 — Take Advantage of Limited-Time Bonuses

Ibotta has some great limited time offers. By knowing what’s out there, you can score big deals and maximize your cash back earnings.

Your savings can go way beyond just digital coupons. Some of the best deals are the ones you’ll get for trying out new products and services.

It’s now expired, but this deal from Blue Apron through Ibotta was great. For signing up for a Blue Apron food subscription, Ibotta offered $52 cash back. That’s the kind of savings you can land by going outside of your comfort zone and experimenting with different products or services.

You never know when deals like that will pop up, so you need to stay on the lookout for them.

Hack #4 — Get in the Habit of Checking Stores on the App Before you Walk In

It’s best known for its grocery shopping offers, but Ibotta offers great deals in other categories, too. Some of these include:

Beauty

Clothing

Convenience stores

Home and electronics (including Best Buy)

Restaurants and bars

Travel

Before you walk into any store, you should check to see if there are Ibotta deals.

If you see something you’ve been considering buying with big cash-back potential on the app, you stand to save a bundle.

Ibotta is both a cash-back coupon app and cash-back website. The only downside is that it can’t be used on a computer — only on a mobile device.

You can also find generic savings opportunities that aren’t attached to any particular name brand or store. That gives you more options for saving money, especially on everyday purchases like milk, bread, and eggs.

Hack #5 — Scan QR Codes Instead of Receipts

If scanning barcodes sounds like too much work, some stores like Walmart allow you to simply scan the QR code on the receipt.

Hack #6 — Bonuses Can be Used Multiple Times on Different Receipts

Most digital coupons can be scanned multiple times, which opens up a whole other level of savings. You can reuse these offers until they disappear.

Load up on an item if it’s a great deal and you know you’ll use it. Things like toilet paper, cleaning supplies and tissues are good items to stockpile. And if you watch the expiration dates on other items, you may find it makes sense to take advantage of the offer repeatedly.

Try to avoid overbuying products though; that will do more harm than good to your wallet.

Apps Like Ibotta and How to Combine Them for Deep Discounts

#1 — Stack Cash-Back Apps

You can stack different apps, which means you’ll earn bonuses from each. Two great options for stacking with Ibotta include:

#2 — Stack With Rewards Apps

#3 — Get a Grocery Credit Card

If you use a grocery credit card that gives you cash back for your purchases, you can stack those earnings with the cash back you get back from Ibotta. The only thing better than saving money is combining two ways to save money on groceries!

Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express: This card gives you a whopping 6 percent back. But it does have an annual fee. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Everyday card is a better choice for you, however. It all depends upon how frequently you’ll use the card.

Keep in mind that this only makes sense if you shop at real grocery stores, because warehouses and superstores don’t qualify.

#4 — Stack With Physical Coupons

You can stack with any physical coupons the store you’re shopping at will accept. That gives you a chance to save even more.

With another website, MyPoints, you can get paid to use coupons. Printing them and using them will earn you points you can use to get gift cards. The gift card options are for a lot of big stores and restaurants.

Ibotta App Review Summary

Ibotta is a great app when it comes to earning cash back. It’s one I’ve used personally to earn extra money.

Signing up is quick, and the app is easy to use. There can be a little bit of a learning curve, though. It’s the type of money-saver that gets easier the more you use it.

As you go along, you’ll find tricks and tips that will reduce how much time you spend. One thing you can do is scan the items as you put them into the grocery cart and then take a picture of your receipt before you leave the store. That will be much easier than scanning the barcodes when you’re trying to put away all your groceries at home.

Join Ibotta today and start locking in your savings. You can save up your rewards for a year-end splurge, a mini vacation, or to pad your retirement account. Either way, it will be time well spent!

The Ways to Wealth LLC has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Ways to Wealth LLC and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

About The Author

R.J. Weiss is the founder and editor of The Ways To Wealth, a Certified Financial Planner™, husband and father of three. He's spent the last 10+ years writing about personal finance and has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, MSN Money, and other publications.

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